Box wrench clip



Fbb.6,l945.

N. THOMPSON BOX WRENCH CLIP Filed March 22, 1943 X is Zmnentor fi/of: soI Gttorneg Patented Feb. 6, 1945 BOXWRENCH CLIP Nellie Thompson, LosAngeles, Calif.

Application March 22, 1943, Serial No. 479,965

Claims.

My invention relates to a simple attachment for a box wrench, wherebythe box wrench will be equipped with means to frictionally engage a nutor screw or bolt head which is placed in the opening of the wrench.

Herein the term box Wrench is employed to designate a wrench having anannular or cylindric wall having therein or therethrough a nut receivingopening defined by a plurality of flutes or channels to receive thelateral corners of the nut, the number of such flutes or channels beinga multiple of the number of lateral corners. on

the nut. For example, a box wrench for a hexagonal nut or hexagonal headof a machine screw has twelve flutes and accordingly only six of suchflutes are engaged at any one time by the corners of a hexagonal nut,the remaining flutes being disposed adjacent the central portion of theside faces of the nut.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple andinexpensive clip which may be readily stamped from sheet metal, thisclip having slender members positioned so as to lie in unoccupied flutesof a box wrench opening, with at least one of these slender membersfrictionally engaging a side face of the nut so as to hold the nut inthe opening. Throughout this specification it will be understood thatthe term nut means not only a body whichis movable On a screw inresponse to rotation, by reason of the threaded engagement of such bodywith the screw, but also any nut-like body which may be fixed on thestem of a screw, for example, the hexagonal head of a machine screw.This understanding is advanced for the reason that the box wrench, withmy clip therein, is ordinarily used on the nuts and heads of bolts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a box wrench clipcomprising a frame or supporting structure and fingers extending fromthis supporting structure so as to lie in planes which radiate from thecenter of the supporting structure and are disposed at such angles thatthe fingers will lie in flutes of the'opening of a box wrench.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box wrench clip of thecharacter set forth in the preceding paragraph, wherein the fingers haveextending portions arranged to lie against the front face of the boxwrench and bend rearward over the outer face to frictionally engage thesame, whereby the clip will be held in operative position.

In the preferred practice of the invention the through the opening ofthe 'box wrench, or within the same, to a position spaced from thefrontface of the wrench. A further object of the invention is to, provide aclip for a box wrench, this clip having fingers to lie in flutes of thebox wrench opening, and a supporting frame connected to like ends of thefingers, which supporting frame will serve as a stop to limit axialmovement of a nut in the opening of the box I wrench. I

Further objects and advantages of. the invention will be understood fromthe following specification, and the drawing which is referred totherein.

Referring to the drawing which tive purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a face view of a stamping for a preferred form of my boxwrench clip.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a box wrench having therein a clip embodying myinvention.

Fig. 3 is an enlargedfragmentary view taken from the position indicatedby the arrow 3 of Fig.2.

by the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, with r the nut removedfrom the box wrench opening.

The stamping I0, shown in Fig. 1, includes a frame or supportingstructure II, from which slender members I2 radiate, these slendermembers I2 being occasionally referred to as fingers. The stamping I0 isfor a clip to be used in a box wrench for hexagonal nuts, and,accordingly, the fingers I2 are disposed at angles a of 120. The frameII is of such peripheral size that it will pass throughfior within theopening of a box wrench in which the clip is used. As shown in theremaining figures of the drawing, and especially the enlarged sectionalview, Fig, 5, the frame II is disposed contiguous to the rear face I3 ofthe box wrench I4. The fingers I2 are bent with relation to the frame IIso as to lie substantially perpendicular thereto and to extend forwardin unoccupied flutes I5 of the box wrench I4. As clearly shown in Fig.3, the fingers I2 are of suchshape and cross sectional area that theywill be received within the unoccupied flutes I5 and will lie adjacentthe faces frame of the clip is of such size that it will pass ward fromthe intermediate portions I8 so as to is for illustra- I Fig. 4 is asectional view taken as indicated to the screw.

lie across the outer face 22 of the box wrench. Preferably the endportions 2| of the fingers l2 conform relatively closely to the outerface 22 of the box'wrench I4 so as to provide a frictional engagementtherewith which will contribute to holding of the clip 23 in position inthe box wrench opening. As shown at 25 in Fig. 5, at least one of thefingers l2 may be bowed inward slightly for frictional engagement with aside.

face of the-nut ll. Also, the frame ll defines an opening 26 of suchsize that a screw 21 may pass therethrough, as shown in Fig. 4.

The box wrench I4 is normally equipped with;

means to hold or rotate the same.

may, in accordancewith standard wrench prac- It willbe. understood thatsuch holding or rotating-means tice, extend axially, after the fashionof a socket wrench, or such means may consist of a radial warddirection. Accordingly, the nut I! will be held-in the opening of thebox wrench M with the face 38 thereofconti'guous to the front face 29 ofthe boxwrench, and-preferably protruding slightly, as shown in Fig. 4.It is sometimes found that the head of a machine screw is inaccessibleto a workman when he is positioned so as to-operate a wrench on a 'nutthreaded on the screw. My invention makes it possible to ap ly a boxwrench to the head of the screw, where it will be frictionally held andwill rotate with the screw until it engages aprojection which will serveas a stop, this making itpossible for aworkman to give his attention tothe tightening of a nut on the accessible end of a screw. A particularadvantageof my simple clip is that it will securely hold a nutwithin theopening of a box. wrench so that the wrench may then be employed asthemeans forholding and applying the nut I.claim asmy invention:

1. In a clipfora hex-nut box .onsocket wrench having, twelve similar.flutes, the combination of: a frame of a. size to pass through theopening ofv the ,wrench and, occupy a position spaced back.- wardj fromthe front end of the opening; and fingers projecting from said frame inplanes which radiate from the center of said frame at angleswhich are amultiple of 60, said fingersv being relatively narrow to lie in flutesof the wrench opening not occupied, byv corners of a hexagonalrnutreceived in said opening, with the outer portions of said fingers beingshaped like hooks and extending over the front face of the wrench andthen down over the external sideface-r of said wrench, the portion of atleast one of said fingers which lies in said flutes frictionallyengaging the nut which is placedin the openingof.

the wrench.

2. In a clip for a box or socket wrench having.

wrench is intended, the combination of: a frame of a size to passthrough the opening of the wrench and occupy a position spaced backwardfrom the front end of the opening; and fingers projecting from saidframe in planes which radiate from the center of said frame and beingrelatively narrow to lie in flutes of the wrench opening not occupied bycorners of a nut received in said opening, with the outer portions ofsaid fingers beingbent outward so as-to extend over the front face ofsaid wrench, the portion of at least one of said fingers which lies insaid flutes frictionally engaging the nut which is placed in theopeningof the wrench.

3. In a clip for a box or socket wrench having a plurality of flutesadapted to receive corners of a nut, the number of said flutes being amultiple of the number of. corners of the nut for which the wrench isintended, the combination of a frame of a size to pass through theopening of the-wrench and occupy a position spaced backward from thefront end 'ofthe opening, said frame having a wallpositioned so as toengage an end face of the nut; and-fingers projecting from said frame inplanes which radiate from the center of saidframe'and which arerelatively narrow so as to lie substantially wholly in flutes of thewrench opening notoccupied by cornersof a-nut received in said opening,the portion-of at least one of said fingers which lies in one-ofsaidflutes frictionally engaging the nut which is placed in the openingof the wrench.

4. In a clip for a box or socket wrench havinga plurality of flutesadapted to receive corners of a nut, the number of said flutes'being amultiple of the number of corners of the nut for which the wrench; isintended, thecombination of: a

' plurality of slender members disposed so as to extend respectively influtes of'the opening of said wrench not occupiedby the corners ofanutplaced in said opening, and supporting means connected to like ends ofsaid resilient members so as to hold them in placeinsaidflutes,'saidsupporting means having'a transverse wall, positioned'so'asto engage anend face of the nut, and said members being so 'formed thatatleastone; of them will frictionallyengage thenut placed in saidopening 5; Ina clip for a box orsocket wrench having a plurality offlutesadapted to receive corners of; a nut, the number of said flutesbeing-a multiple of the number of corners of the nut for which thewrench is intended, thev combination of; a plurality of slender membersdisposed so as to extend respectively in "flutes of the opening of,

said box wrench not occupied by the; corners. of

a nut placed in said opening, and supporting means connected tolike'ends of, saidmembers so as to holdithemin place in saidjflutes,said supporting means comprising a thin flat wall lying.v

in a plane substantiallynormalto theaxis of the wrench opening, saidmembers being' so formed that at least onetof' themwill frictionallyengage

